This invention relates to an optical connection apparatus having a shutter for shielding outgoing light and to the shutter. Herein, the term “optical connection apparatus” is used in a broad sense and includes not only a typical optical connector such as an optical plug and an optical receptacle but also a connection assisting element or device called an adapter or an optical adapter and frequently used for connection of the optical connector.
Generally, an optical connector is used for connection of an optical fiber defining an optical path of laser light. Therefore, in a connected state, the laser light does not leak out from the optical connector. However, in a disconnected state, the laser light may possibly be emitted outward from an open end of the optical connector as outgoing light.
In order to protect user's eyes from the outgoing light emitted from the optical connector, it is proposed to provide the optical connector with a shutter for shielding the outgoing light. For example, a manually operable shutter is disposed at an end face of an opening portion of an adapter attached to the optical connector. However, an operation of the shutter is troublesome. In addition, the number of parts, the cost, and the size are disadvantageously increased.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2003-139999 discloses the technique of shielding outgoing light from an optical connector by the use of a shutter. The shutter is formed by a thin plate material such as metal and has a flat insert portion. On the other hand, an adapter to be attached to the optical connector has an insertion grove formed on its end face. By inserting the insert portion into the insertion groove, the shutter is attached to the adapter. In the above-mentioned method of fixing the shutter, the insert portion is inserted into and fixed to the insertion groove by so-called press-fitting. Therefore, a special press-fit tool is required and a place of production is limited.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2005-17598 also discloses an optical connector with a shutter. In the optical connector, the shutter comprises a plate-like shutter portion for shielding light, and an anchor portion folded back from the shutter portion and adapted to be inserted into an anchor hole formed on a wall portion of a connector body to penetrate therethrough. The anchor portion has a stopper portion passing through the anchor hole and engaged with the wall portion to prevent the shutter from being released. However, since the shutter portion and the anchor portion are faced to each other in a height direction of the connector, i.e., the anchor portion is positioned exactly below the shutter portion, the connector can not be reduced in height. When the shutter is fixed to an optical adapter, a front end plate portion between the shutter portion and the anchor portion is pressed. Therefore, the shutter portion may be deformed during operation.